Project Fact Sheet

PARTICULATE BRIQUETTING TECHNOLOGY FOR THE STEEL INDUSTRY

BENEFITS NEW METHOD PRODUCES METALLURGICAL FURNACE One plant processing 350,000 tons of BRIQUETTES THAT IMPROVE FURNACE EFFICIENCY AND metal oxide feed materials per year could produce: REDUCE LANDFILL WASTE 11 • Energy savings of 2.95x10 Btu; Covol Technologies, with assistance from the NICE3 Program, is demonstrating 5.9x1012 Btu by the year 2010 with a binding process that forms a stable briquette for metallurgical furnaces. The 20 units in place duct briquettes retain their shape in harsh furnace environments and decrease the quantity of fines created. The briquettes lower costs and eliminate waste by • Economic savings of $360,000 allowing the steel, metallurgical, and mining industries to feed furnaces with potentially valuable materials that otherwise would be discarded in a landfill.

APPLICATIONS Currently, about 5% to 15% of the materials introduced into steel-making or This binding technology will benefit all smelting furnaces are lost as particulates in the form of dusts or sludges. operations that use blast furnaces, Covol’s innovative process transforms this waste into briquettes large and strong enough to endure the harsh conditions inside a metallurgical furnace. Energy shaft furnaces, or other metallurgical savings for a plant producing 350,000 tons of metal oxide feed material per year furnaces incapable of processing feed are estimated to be 2.95x1011 Btu. Annual cost savings for the same plant are material in the form of dusts or projected to be $360,000. sludges. The technology also applies to mining or metallurgical operations PARTICULATE BRIQUETTING that have a product, by-product, or

Supersack Supersack waste material that would be suitable Dispenser Dispenser feed for a metallurgical furnace if it Volumetric Feeder were briquetted. Hopper Belt Conveyor, Mixer Feed Evenflow Feeder Chute, Briquetter Chute, Mixer Feed Belt Conveyor, Briquetter Feed Feed Mixer Water Delivery System Stationary Grizzly Distributor Briquetter Chute, Grizzly Undersize Belt Conveyor, Heated Belt Conveyor, Heated Heated Hopper Feed Hopper Hopper Grizzly Feed

Hot Air Hot Air Delivery System Delivery System

Feeder, Vibratory Feeder, Vibratory Belt Conveyor, Dry Briquetter Collector

Belt Conveyor, Final Product

This schematic of Covol's unique system follows the steps of processing, from the loading of fine particulate by-products and other wastes with limestone or other fluxing materials, to the final step of producing stable furnace briquettes.

OFFICE OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Project Description Goal: The project goal is to demonstrate a process that can significantly reduce waste generation in metallurgical and mining operations while improving energy efficiency in metallurgical furnace operations. Specific materials will be targeted for demonstration in a full-scale lead blast furnace. 3 This process forms stable briquettes from fine particulate by-products or wastes generated by NICE —National Industrial Competitiveness through Energy, Environment, and Economics: the mining and metallurgical industries. These fine particulate materials may be combined with An innovative, cost-sharing program to pro- other similar products or with fluxing materials, such as limestone, or carbonaceous materials, mote energy efficiency, clean production, and such as coke fines, and then processed using Covol’s proprietary technology. The briquetted economic competitiveness in industry. This product has sufficient strength and durability to withstand the harsh environment inside a grant program provides funding to state and metallurgical furnace. The addition of the briquettes to a metallurgical furnace creates no industry partners for the first commercial demonstration of energy efficient and clean negative impact on either quality or quantity of throughput and adds no pollutant emissions. production manufacturing and industrial tech- Covol Technologies is demonstrating this new technology with assistance from the Utah Office nologies. Total project cost for a single award must be cost-shared at a minimum of 50% by 3 of Energy Services and the NICE Program in the Department of Energy’s Office of Industrial a combination of state and industrial partner Technologies. dollars. The DOE share for each award shall not exceed $500,000 to the industrial partner and up to $25,000 to the sponsoring state Progress and Milestones agency for a maximum of $525,000.

• Layout engineering will be completed. PROJECT PARTNERS • Equipment will be relocated and installed. Covol Technologies, Inc. • Facility will be commissioned and commence briquetting. Lehi, UT • A trial batch of briquettes will be produced. NICE3 Program • A trial run will be completed in an operating blast furnace using the batch of briquettes. U.S. Department of Energy Washington, DC

Utah Office of Energy Services Salt Lake City, UT

FOR PROJECT INFORMATION, CONTACT: Max Sorenson, Vice President Covol Technologies, Inc. 3280 North Frontage Road Lehi, UT 84043 Phone: (801) 768-4481 Fax: (801) 768-4483

FOR PROGRAM INFORMATION, CONTACT: Lisa Barnett Program Manager, NICE3 Program U.S. Department of Energy 1000 Independence Ave., SW Washington, DC 20585 Phone: (202) 586-2212 Fax: (202) 586-7114 [email protected]

Visit our home page at www.oit.doe.gov

Office of Industrial Technologies Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy U.S. Department of Energy INDUSTRY OF THE FUTURE—STEEL Washington, DC 20585 Through OIT’s Industries of the Future initiative, the Steel Association, on behalf of the steel industry, has partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to spur technological innovations that will reduce energy consumption, pollution, and production costs. In March 1996, the industry outlined its vision for maintaining and building its competitive position in the world market in the document, The Re-emergent Steel Industry: Industry/Government DOE/GO-10099-888 Partnerships for the Future. Order# NICE3ST-7 January 2000 OIT Steel Industry Team Leader: Scott Richlen (202) 586-2078.